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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Thoughts on Facebook and People Needing to Grow Up

I have always been really tolerant of people and their opinions. If they strongly believe in their religion, power to them. If one of my guy friends loves guys, power to him for being happy with who he is - self-acceptance FTW.

But what I don't have a tolerance for is people that come onto my Facebook wall when I've posted something and state their opinion so rudely. Congrats to the fact that they have an opinion, but did they ever listen to their mother? If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Thoughts on Disappointment, and Youtube Song!

I really get tired of being rejected. It seems to be a major, reoccurring theme in my life.Yes, it's a terrible idea for me to be a writer if I don't like being rejected, but I file that under a different type of rejection.

But every time I try to better myself, my life, or my career, things never seem to go my way.

I don't know whether or not I'm just "doing" life wrong, or that I don't have any luck or good karma on my side, but obviously, someone karmically doesn't like me. I feel like I must have angered someone somewhere to make it so that nothing ever goes right.


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Thoughts on November's End, Anxious Days, Drink of the Holidays

When NaNoWriMo is over, I get really sad. I get so used to writing endlessly on my laptop, that when December rolls around, I have no idea what to do with myself when I sit at my laptop. It just feels so weird to think that this happens.

Sure, I start planning for next year - especially since it's a Post-Apocalypse novel - but I do that in notebooks and with some research. I don't sit and actually put a whole lot of physical words on the page.

So, now,  here I am sitting with a few other members from my write-in, back at our coffee shop. We're mostly writing, or working on other projects. But we're getting together for the community of writers and the comradery of hanging out with fellow writers. I'm really glad this is continuing. It's a fantastic way to break up the week and just spend time relaxing somewhere in an environment that isn't my home.

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thoughts on Write-ins (again), College Apps (some more ), and Plotting

I've met a lot of great people this year at the local write-ins. Yeah, there have been quite a few that are utterly scary beyond all belief - but really, aren't all writers? However, there are some that truly take the cake.

I'm sure all writers are in their own way, socially awkward. Yet somehow, we get along with each other fantastically. It's always tough to find people in the "real world" that you can converse with about anything and everything, and it still all relates to writing. We all come from different walks of life, but we all hold the same passion for writing and creativity that we just click.

It's a surreal sense of camaraderie that you could only experience on sports teams, or basically any "team" situation. But it's why we're all drawn together like moths to a flame in order to converse about our stories, our characters, and this shared passion that is a complete opposite of our lives.

And here's to hoping it won't end come November 30th.

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Thoughts on Write-ins, Shuffle, and Next Year

In previous years, I could never make it to a write-in. There were plenty of them out there, but I never had a means of traveling to them. This year I can finally drive to write-ins and hang out with fellow writers. There are definitely a lot of great people I've met so far.

That's the best part about NaNoWriMo. The community of it all. There's nothing more thrilling than writing during a word sprint and succeeding in getting the highest word count of the group. Well, not always. I have a terrible  habit of backspacing and fixing the typos. Any writer does. So I've been adjusting to that while writing during sprints for 10 minutes. And wow, I can type really fast when need be.

But actually, I tend to type much faster when writing dialogue. Suddenly my story is full of ridiculous amounts of dialogue that has nothing to do with the plot. Thank you, brain.

And I'm getting a lot written in a write-in. Like, easily 3k in four ten-minute word sprints. It is truly awesome. What's even better, is that I don't realize how many words I've written until the night is over.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Thoughts on Flash, NaNoWriMo, and Epic Halloween Costume

As some of you know, I write a lot of flash fiction. In fact, I pretty much love the idea. But currently Flash Party isn't open for submissions - and hasn't been since the summer.

So I've been mulling over the idea of starting a flash fiction site. I like the idea of writing flash fiction and having somewhere to submit it to. I suppose the only problem would be I can't submit to my own site. That would be unfair.

But I would call it "Flash" and have the Queen song "Flash" playing in the background. Or at least in a small portion of the site. Tis just a dream though.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Thoughts on Hope, Sites, and Lady Is A Tramp

I grew up attending church. In fact, it was common for me to attend every Wednesday and Sunday with my mom. Not to mention participate in various activities put on by different groups within the church body.

But as I got older, it became less and less a "thing" for me. It's not that I was sprinting away from the idea of a higher power. In fact, that is something I do still believe; along with the other morals I grew up with. However it's that I've been continuously losing faith in just depending on a giant spaghetti monster on the dark side of the moon that would answer my prayers. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for things to happen for me; instead, I'm much more of a do-er. I'd rather put my own effort behind what I want done than just have faith it will happen because of karma or blah blah blah.

However, the one thing I haven't lost, is hope. The idea that tomorrow will be a better day, or that things won't always be this hard financially. It's that silver lining or the light at the end of the tunnel -- and no, that's not a train. But it's seeing the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. It's all about staying optimistic and hopeful that another day will come and it will be brighter than the last.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Thoughts on Anxious Waiting, Essays, and November

Sorry for my serious lack of posts. I'm trying, but lately I've been super anxious.

Perhaps it's that the deadlines are approaching for all the applications. Basically everything is due November 1st. And I'm just frantically checking the Emerson application portal to make sure all that needs to be submitted is there. I'm ridiculous.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Thoughts on New Shows, Donating Books, Steve Jobs

Normally every season I find another show to add to the list I follow. Of course, I have my staples: Castle, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Parenthood, Rizzoli & Isles, and Glee (yes, I know, I do follow that show, but I have my reasons). But of course, there's all the new shows that crop up and turn out to be really fantastic. This year I have fallen in love with: Raising Hope, Necessary Roughness, and my most recent addition, New Girl.

Plus, there are still shows I have yet to see  because they have a later debut; or they've already been cancelled. But I still need to check out Pan Am, and once it comes out, Once Upon A Time.

But the star rookie of the new shows is definitely New Girl. With Zooey Deschanel as a recent single, she's a new roommate to three guy friends who are just trying to find "the one", get a job, and get over an ex. While coping with her own break-up, she's helping them with their problems, mostly by accident and also gaining friends that are helping her. She's quirky, geeky, and just loves being herself, Jess, is definitely one of those characters I relate to automatically.

Maybe it's the fact that she's comfortable being herself, but will try and fit into a different shape when her friends want her to. However even after a while she needs to break free and dance to the beat of her own drum/kazoo/instrument of your choice. So this show is certainly a keeper for me.

Here's a plus: geeky references and Miss Deschanel's whimsical singing included.

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A while back I had done some cleaning out of my room. Mostly getting old books off the shelves and storing them in boxes. I planned on having a garage sale for them to try and get some spare cash in hopes of getting us either a real couch or replacing our slowly deteriorating television.

My mom inquired about all the books - two boxes worth - and asked if some people at our church could look through my books and pull stuff out for donation. They needed things for specific grades to send to China - why China needs our books, I don't know, but do they honestly need them?

Well, a few weeks had gone by, and I asked my mom if she got the books back. Anything that they weren't going to send to China, was supposed to be returned to me. Because those were my property. It was my choice what I wanted to do with them.

Low and behold, I inquire about it today, and find out the person collecting the books took all my extras and turned them into Half-Price Books. So essentially, I just lost out on extra cash on items that should have been returned to me because they were my property. Those books were in my collection for 21 years and many were even older than me. A simple apology won't do in my mind. Cause honestly, we had said the extra books needed to be returned to us. And it was agreed upon that I would get them back. So since they're long gone, I at least deserve the money from them.

That's the last time I ever donate to some stupid church thing my mom tries to convince me is for a "good cause." Humanity continues to disappoint.

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I'm not a fan of Apple products. Well, mostly just the company and how they are with their products.

However I can't say anything bad about Steve Jobs. He was a true innovator, inventor, dreamer and creator. Many of the items we rely so heavily on today were innovations from him. Continually pushing technology, he really knew what people wanted.

A true visionary, I'm sad to see him go, but happy to know that he passed peacefully with family nearby. I'm sure he's already working on how to make improvements to heaven. Can anyone say iPeter?

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Thoughts on Affection, Justice, and Writer's Block

I always feel really weird about affection.

I'm not someone that acts a particular way to entice guys, or be a girl that knows what she's got and how to use it. Honestly, I'm just being myself.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Thoughts on Social Outings, Pronunciation, and Castle

I've never been comfortable around people that enjoy drinking. There's a wide variety of ways people express their drunkenness. Most people I know laugh a lot, or get really loud. And honestly, I don't care if friends of mine drink while we're hanging out, or over dinner. It's common in most countries to drink with dinner. That doesn't bother me.

I suppose what bothers me is the extreme spectrum moods can be. Then how everyone else must deal with said person. Certainly, when I've been in such situations, I vacate asap. I mean, if you're uncomfortable, the automatic response is to take flight.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Thoughts on the College Life

It's a lot of little ideas under one heading, which means it totally counts as at least three.  Plus, I'm a little preoccupied - leaving the country tomorrow, and all.  But I wanted one last post before I left American soil, to really tie the blog together.

I played foosball before.  I won't be able to do that again until January, and that's killing me.  I'm sitting on my friend's dorm floor, surrounded by my luggage and distracted by my friends.  I'm still thinking about starting a travel blog, but I still feel like people might think I'm a jerk for doing so.  Or maybe someone will actually care. Or maybe I'll just post everything on Tumblr and try to remember to make more funny pictures to share.

I finally set up my Internet here on campus, but that's pointless, seeing as I'm going to the Netherlands.  And the castle got struck by lightening recently.  So Internet might not exist there, just as I feared.  No Skype, no Twitter, no Facebook.  And my phone won't work and I can't text a lot on my crappy European phone.  Pretty much, I'll be so out of touch, it's insane.

But I'll try to keep writing and remembering, trying to find things to write about and talk about and send letters home about.  And I'll just keep dreaming about foosball.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Thoughts on Words Without Thought, Applications, Comparisions

It's official! Katie and I are working on a writing vlog with three wonderful writers! We call ourselves Words Without Thought. Please give us a view!

We have a lot of fantastic topics planned for the future. If nothing else, at least comment with tips on how we can improve or any topic suggestions!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Thoughts on That Morning

It was another morning where I had to get ready for school. I'd been in the 6th grade for about a week. Like most mornings, I got up and wandered into my mom's room. We listened to the radio together, which was part of our normal routine. She got up to let the dog out, while I continued to hear the news.

But it was a particular piece of breaking news that caught my attention. A plane crash in New York City? How did that happen? I got up and turned on the television, which was showing the North tower smoking from near the top.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Thoughts on Flat Tires, Application Submissions, and Searching

This entire past week has been quite a hassle. On Tuesday night, I went over to my Aunt's house to get some large manila envelopes from her - and then have my cousin take said envelopes to school with him to pass on to the school's counselor. At some point, I must have run over a nail, because by the time I drove home, my tire was completely flat.

Not that I knew to check or noticed anything different - a shame on my part. But for the rest of this week I've had my mom dropping me off at work. Meanwhile she's been trying to deal with getting me a new tire.

First big issue was that the tire couldn't be fixed. I managed to get the nail into the shoulder of the tire, which is basically irreparable. (Lesson learned - if you see a nail on the road, avoid it or make sure it pops your tire in the middle.) So after having taken the tire off and putting on the spare, I now had to purchase a new tire with the exact make and size mine was. Since my tires were brand new when we purchased the car, we weren't worried about buying a pair. They're all in really great shape otherwise.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Thoughts on College, Crushes, and Drinking

I've been saying for the past few years that I'd go to college. Or that I'd get back to school and start at least working towards a degree. But every year, nothing would happen. And I do regret not getting involved in the whole application process for college in high school. Then again, it makes sense why I didn't.

College was never a high priority to my mom. She, to this day, thinks that a person should be able to learn a trade via an apprenticeship like she did. I've tried time and again to explain that things don't work like they did for her.

So after three years of working and struggling with what I wanted to do, it's finally time to take the plunge. Yeah, I'm late on this, but I have the drive and the perseverance to get me through to the end.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Thoughts on Loss, Packing Up, and Something Adorable

Note: The first [and second] topics can be depressing. Feel free to skip to the second topic or straight to the bottom for adorable pandas.

I've had quite a few friends and coworkers discover they're pregnant this year. It's a strange concept for me to grasp, I suppose.

I don't imagine myself in either circumstance until I'm in my late 20s. This is that time in your life when you should discover who you are, do something spontaneous, and just live.

But just living isn't the same when you've heard news that literally takes your breath away.

Thoughts on Time, Homesickness, & 100 Posts!

I know, I know; time is relative.  But it feels like it's been quietly helping me along recently, giving me a few extra minutes where I need them and speeding along the process when I can't stand the boredom anymore.  Work (knock on wood) seems to fly nowadays, whereas I would have died of exhaustion, frustration, and sleep deprivation at the beginning of the summer.  Maybe it's because I'm down to the one, slightly less demanding job.  Maybe it's because I'm more confident now at the pool.  Maybe it's because I read a lot.  Whatever the reason, thanks for the boost, time.

Time can slow down, too, and I'm equally as thankful for that.  The minutes can take their sweet time passing into the wee hours and into a new day.  I don't mind the quiet of the night, the cool breeze.  I don't mind sitting down in the middle of the day to commit ideas to paper, realizing writing two and half pages took hardly any time at all.  I like looking my goals in the face and saying, "That looks easy."

Time.  It's a beautiful thing.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Thoughts on Hurricane Irene, Timothy, & the East End

A tree was uprooted on our block.  We were thankful to find that as the largest catastrophe to greet us on Cambridge Drive when we arrived home from mandatory evacuation on Sunday afternoon.

Sure, there were branches to clean up around the house and a den to reassemble, but we didn't flood, which is quite a miracle, and we didn't have any trees in our house, which was beautiful.  Also, our cats don't hate us all that much for stuffing them in the traveling cage and hauling ass to Granny's in the city.  Which can only be an act of God.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Thoughts on Riding the Bus, PAX 2011, and Chibi-Thulu

It certainly has been a few days since either myself or Katie posted some memoirs. With her being evacuated and me being in Seattle, we've definitely not had a lot of time on our hands. But fear not! While hanging in the press room waiting for it to close, I jotted some things down from Saturday. Hopefully I can read them and organise them into a post for you to enjoy!

For the weekend, I took the bus into Seattle in the morning and back home each night. It's fairly simple, as long as you know which stop you need to listen for. Thankfully I wasn't the only one on the bus that needed that stop - and this time I could actually hear the driver call out the stops too.

But for once, I was met with a strange happening. You see, I was waiting at the bus stop, about 20 minutes early because I wanted to be sure I was there on time. And this woman comes across the street and checks the schedule before inquiring about how much the bus fare is. I say $2.50, which was the amount I paid last summer. So I was pretty certain it hadn't changed. She shuffled through her wallet, trying to see if she had $2.50. When it didn't seem she did, she inquired about if I had change for a five. Unfortunately I only had enough for my fare for the morning and evening. But then an idea struck both of us. I give her my 2.50 and she uses her five for both of us. There, problem solved.

Well, since we were now fare buddies, we got to talking about the reason she was wanting to take the bus and what brought her to town. She explained that her company's headquarters were located here, and she was flying back to Brussels, Belgium in the afternoon. Her jaunt into Seattle was for a few hours to see the city. She'd been unable to since she was mostly working indoors or sleeping from her jetlag. We finally got to talking about places she could go in a few hours; which brought up Pike Place Market - the Space Needle was too far, and the bus couldn't get her there.

It's a great tourist location right near the water. It's an indoor farmers' market where the legendary Gum Wall, Market Street Theatre, the original Starbucks, and the Seattle Ghost tours are located. Definitely a great place to send her. Not to mention the Pike Place fish throwers. Yes. Fish throwing. You order fish, they throw it and get it wrapped up for you. Quite the sight to see.

We get on the bus - after a bit of trouble with the fare machine - and take our seats. Several other stops are made along the way, and it's not too long before we've hit our last stop and are taking the express the rest of the way into downtown. A family of three just got on the bus, and with it being busy, there's limited seating for three. With the dad carrying his daughter, he takes a seat next to a guy. His wife lugging the stroller goes to take a seat across from him after he gestures for her to sit there, that way they're close. The man by the window realises this and politely gets up and switches seats with the wife so that the family is all sitting together - daughter in their lap.

"Brussels" - as I've dubbed her since we didn't exchange names - smiled and whispered "That was sweet of him to do." And it's true. It was a very nice, polite gesture that sometimes you just don't see in this day and age. She and I talked for a time - as the main bridge was closed so we had to use an alternate route. But it wasn't long after the silence that we were both dozing from the gentle rocking of the bus.

I kept my ears peeled for our stop, and got out with her. Together, we walked to the street she would need to get her straight to Pike Place. She thanked me, which it truly was no problem, and we bid farewell. I wished her a safe flight to Brussels and she wished me good luck and that she hoped I could get into publishing.

Overall, it was a great bus trip. She was a cool woman to meet and talk to, while it was also nice to see that there is still some good in humanity.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Thoughts on Phone Replacements, Letters, and Barbeque Sauce

I wrote last week that I cracked the screen on my phone because it fell from my pocket.Well, now my replacement phone is here - thank you 22 month warranty coverage - and let's just say... it's larger then I expected.

I had a HTC Aria, which was on the smaller side of all touch screen phones. But see, that was perfect for me. I'm a person of short stature, so I also have small hands. The Aria was just the right fight for texting and holding my phone in one hand and doing virtually everything that way.

My new phone is ginormous. It's a Samsung Galaxy S, which is HUGE. Texting is certainly uncomfortable and the keyboard is set up a bit differently. So there's lots to get used to now.

But I seriously miss my old phone....

Thoughts on The End of the World, Unexpected Letters, & Billy Joel

The rainalypse, an East Coast earthquake, Hurricane Irene, thunderstorms, floods, tsunamis, snow, melting ice caps (that's still happening, right?).

I try not to dwell on these kinds of things, but...really?

Monday, August 22, 2011

Thoughts on Walking the Town, Crawdads, and Age of The Geek

Walking around my home town is actually a lot of fun. There's tons of little bakeries, eateries, and shops of all kinds that my friends and I discover and rediscover every time we wander.

We grab a smoothie at Jamba, perhaps a snack at the nearby QFC, and then we're off to explore and see where random turns take us.

The only unpleasant time to walk the town... is when it's hot. There's very little breeze - as we are located in a valley - there's plenty of tall buildings, and we're not near a large body of water to ease the heat.

But walking down by the slough is always a nice refresher. Yeah, it's just a giant stream that floods a lot during the winter and gets super low during the summer. It's where I've taken a lot of my nature pictures on Facebook. Especially of the baby geese and ducks.

Thoughts on Harry Potter (again), Inspiration, & Profile Pictures

Yep.  Saw it again tonight.  Third time's the charm, right?  And I've been lucky enough to see it with completely different people each time.  First was opening night, in a packed theater; second, with my dad; tonight, with three friends.  It's just a different atmosphere each time, moving from excitement and the unknown, to a mix of knowing and resignation, to just sitting back, mouthing the lines along with the characters, and looking for whatever things you've read about online that were supposedly hidden in scenes.  If you're a fan of the book, you knew what was going to happen going into the movie, of course.  But it's always a shock to see what makes the cut and what gets ignored, what they leave in and what gets mere seconds of screen time.

I noticed one of the wizard's chess pieces (the queen) in the Room of Requirement this time.  What else have you found?

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Thoughts on Fantasy, Cereal, & Why Can't I Ever Think of a Third?

The genre; not the daydreams.

I was obsessed with the fantasy genre for the majority of my childhood.  Aside from the usual dalliances into young adult drama and Are You There, God?  It's Me, Margaret to get all the "answers" to my burning questions, I devoted myself entirely to talking animals and people with wings and creatures that spoke made-up languages.  Ironically, I've never been able to finish a book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy - I only read The Hobbit in sixth grade, for fun.  I remember doing some kind of kickass book jacket for it.  I drew a dragon.

Thoughts on Workshops, One Day, and Moving Furniture

It's tough to find free writing workshops. Cause honestly, half the ones I've looked at are between $200 - $500.

Writers already don't have a lot of spare change - our days of plotting previous to any publishing are not exactly times in which one makes large sums of money.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Thoughts on Mosquito Bites, Wounded Phones, and CD Collection

I'm one of those people that is unfortunately what one might say is allergic to mosquito bites. They don't just itch after I get bit, but they also welt up rather large and are often times, painful.

Thankfully, I'm not as bad as my mom, but mosquitoes are one of those creatures that everyone hates. They really seem to have no purpose except be annoying on a vacation or camping trip, and to perhaps stupidly fly into a spider's web. Ah, the circle of life.

Thoughts on Mumford & Sons, Mousse, & Going Back to School

Have you ever fallen, instantly, in love?  With music?  You only know a song or two, but you're stared in the face with a half-remember melody and the CD cover, and you say, "What the hell?" and but the whole damn album, anyway.  Sometimes, you only recognize a title, a single line, but that's all it takes.  It isn't forced; you just know.  You want to listen to the song you only vaguely remember, but you start from the beginning, to be fair - no waiting, no whining, without a fight.  Wo cares about the money?  It's natural.

By day two, you know every line.  You have your favorites.  And that album is all you need.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Thoughts on Forgetting, Self-Consciousness, & Europe

It's incredible how insanely easy it is just to...forget.

It's bad enough that you can lose the most important parts of your life in your prime.  But what happened to all those childhood memories, the ones that are fuzzy and stilted, saved only in photographs and home movies?  What about the things you only hear family members talk about?  How is it that you lived through those moments, too, but they really made no true impact on you?  Some things stand out, but the specifics are largely gone.

And what will happen when I get older?  What happens when I get busy, get overwhelmed, stop writing things down and taking pictures and committing them to memory?

I guess I just need to get on my game now.  And never let that happen.  Not again.

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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Thoughts on "Loud Music," Vlogging Idea, and The Wild Thornberries

Michelle Branch was and still is one of my favorite female vocal artists. She's always done things her own way and never followed the crazy crowd of those Pop Singers. Quite the role model to look up to - I can't sing, but following the beat of her own drum is what I look up to. I've been following her on Twitter.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Thoughts on The Help Part 2, and Nigel Thornberry

Yes, it's a two topic day, but probably because the first topic is going to be long. But don't worry. Endure and you'll be rewarded with a hilarious video.

 So I rambled on about the movie yesterday, mostly about how great it was - which it is, so go see it. Like, right NOW.

I would have talked about this yesterday, but then that post would have gone on forever. What better way then to break it up now that I've had more time to think about this movie? [Some Spoilers after the cut]

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Thoughts on The Help, Writing, and Procrastination At Its Finest

I saw The Help today. And it was a really cool movie. I need to read the book asap.

It's fascinating how strict the rules were for people, and the do's and don'ts that Mississippi had for it's citizens. I can't imagine living in such a time - although in some ways there are some pretty unaccepting people in the world today.

But it was fascinating how despite the risks of speaking about being a maid in the 1960s of America, that they were willing to do so after witnessing so many terrible things done to them. There were some families that were accepting and happy to do the right thing to help their maids, and to make sure they weren't treated poorly. It was funny, witty, and endearing. You cared about the maids, Skeeter, and Celia because they all changed things by speaking their minds; being honest with the world that didn't want to change.

If you get the chance, see it. It's quite the movie and worth seeing. Now time to go find the book.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Thoughts on Mac n' Cheese, Workshops, and Nargles

It's tough to find some really fantastic Mac n' Cheese. The boxed kind isn't the same and definitely after said box has sat for a time, is a terrible experience. So I've been searching for some delicious Mac n' Cheese. And this certainly hasn't been an easy search.

So far, my top pick has been Costco. It's super delicious, and all I do is put it in the oven. FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC. One night, I ate one-third of the pan - and that's actually pretty dangerous considering all the butter and cheese in the dish. But then again... I was in pain - shoulder issue - and on some pain killers. So I was nomming for anything at that point. A third of a pan though. That's a lot of macaroni and cheese.

I've sampled a few frozen brands, and none come quite as close. The cheese mixture just doesn't taste right and reminds me too much of Kraft - who I'm not fond of.

Since I enjoy cooking, I tried my hand at a few recipes, but none turned out well. I was low on milk and cheese, so other items had to be mixed in to get the right consistency. Definitely a big mistake. So next time I need to make sure I have all the ingredients.

However, I think I've found the right kind for me. As a replacement to Costco until they start making it again - lately they've only been making other pasta dishes with lots of shrimp (gross!) - I've turned to Panera. Holy Hell, that stuff is delicious. It's way too easy to eat my fill of that. Way too easy. If I bought more then just a large bowl, I think I would die from consuming too much.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Thoughts on Roleplaying, Sea Fair, and Pottermore Revisited

I actually don't remember how I got started in to roleplaying. As far as roleplaying online, I've been doing that since I was about... 10-12, on Neopets. The guild I was/am in is a roleplaying guild for Spirited Away. And part of what we'd do besides basic contests, was roleplay on the message board.

But certainly, like every kid, I also played make-believe games in real life, running around pretending and using our imaginations. I did that for years - though high school too, because of all the baby sitting I did. It was a way for me to use my imagination and be in a far off land like Harry Potter, Teen Titans, The X-Men, and various other universes from my childhood (Boxcar Children being the major one in my primary school days).

Friday, August 5, 2011

Thoughts on Alternate Realities, Self-Publishing, and Pottermore

I've always wondered... what would life be like if certain things didn't happen? I know I've talked about this before, but I recently started mulling over the idea further.

A friend and I had been trying to decide what to roleplay over instant messenger. For several years we've been using the same family/universe of characters, and slowly expanding on them. We have three generations of this family, and were running out of possible plot ideas. A thought had struck me the other day, about what would have happened to our characters had we not chosen the storylines we did.

For example, my character Casey almost loses his wife when she's giving birth. We originally planned it that his wife would survive. But thinking back, I wonder where he and his daughter would be if his wife didn't survive. Sure, he's my character, and I can write him a happy ending if I want; but that doesn't provide any amount of growth or depth. It just ties up loose ends. I'd rather like to see the struggles he goes through as a widowed father; how he copes with this sudden loss and sole responsibility; what he does when his daughter starts inquiring about her deceased mother. And what he does when he starts wading into the mess of dating when having a child.

There were other alternate universe/plot turns we came up with that gave us very interesting roads to eventually travel down. So, we've decided to go back and play these out, just to see where we would take them.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Thoughts on Lack of Posts, Summer Days, and Exchange Students 2

Perhaps it's the summer air and Washington finally getting a few days of decent weather. Or maybe it's my mind procrastinating. Then there's the fact that I've been searching for new music and haven't quite found something that makes me want to write.

There have been things I've thought about writing; here and on my writing blog. But I think my motivation is currently gone. I've lost that focus and drive that I had a few months ago. Now my posts here - and on Cellar Door - are few and far between.

I need to get back; I want to get back into it. But there's something that's stopping me; myself.

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Thoughts on A Heat Wave, Ravenclaws, and Norway

While the rest of the country is roasting in three-digit heat, Washington has been chilling between 55 and 75 degrees. I'm not complaining by any means. Cause to me, that's actually a pretty nice summer. Hearing about what the rest of the nation is going through, is pretty ridiculous.

Thank you jet stream for keeping it so cool here.

But today was finally the first day where the temperature was above 80 in some places. Surprise, surprise! Honestly, with the way the weather had been looking, I figured we wouldn't hit 80 or higher until at least the end of August.

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Thoughts on Childhood Foods For Guests, Entertainment, and New Glasses

It's been interesting finding foods that our two exchange students like. Sometimes they'll like one food, and then a day later, not prefer it. Lunches have been interesting, and so have breakfast. But dinner they've been pretty okay with. We've been doing a mix of various foods with rice, classic "American" foods.

But one thing I know, is how to make foods that kids will eat. Call it having a love for the "classics" or just figuring that like all kids, they love something that's tasty, even if it's healthy.

So tonight we had Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheese. My mom had said she thought they wouldn't like the Grilled Cheese since they didn't like cheese for their tacos or some other things with cheese in them. But we made an extra grilled cheese just in case and cut all the sandwiches into triangles. After trying one sandwich each, they ended up eating a good portion of them.

Julia Child was right. Butter makes everything taste fantastic. But melted cheese and butter? Now we're talking real amazing food.

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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Thoughts on Exchange Students, Sleep Deprivation, and Mischief Managed

Our exchange students arrived Thursday night. They're pretty adorable. Hopefully I'll get some pictures of all of us soon, and then I can show all the readers.

Anyway, it's been interesting having them with us. Wendy and Rose are pretty quiet, and spend time hanging with us or in their room when not at school. We've mostly been watching Pixar movies, or anything in our collection that they recognise and want to watch.

Last night we were at a barbeque/potluck with them and their classmates. Some of the girls jumped when a chicken randomly wandered onto the deck. It was happy to be fed, and just chilled on the deck by the table watching everyone. The kids had fun exploring the house/property we did the potluck at. We didn't get a chance to roast marshmallows, but perhaps another night.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Thoughts on Birthdays, E-Readers, and Age

So this is actually super random, and I don't think my cousin reads my blog, but he's turning 15 today. If you live in Western Washington, watch out. There's going to be a new driver on the road.

Happy Birthday C!! May you have a fantastic fifteenth! And let's have a blast watching Deathly Hallows Part 2!!!

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Sunday, July 10, 2011

Thoughts on Movie Marathons, Eavesdropping, and Abandon Amusement Parks

It's so easy to get sucked into a marathon. Whether it's Star Wars, Indiana Jones (minus the fourth movie), Mythbusters, or any number of television shows I enjoy watching, sometimes it's hard to change the channel. More often than not, I find myself at least one day a weekend chilling on the couch watching movies or a TV show for hours on end. Sometimes it's Star Wars (only the original Trilogy and Phantom Menace for me), Back to the Future, or some witty show on USA Channel. But its so easy to get enthralled with all the characters.

But by far the best marathon I've done in a while is Harry Potter with my friend from school, Lolo.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Thoughts on My Signature, Pen Names, and An Old Hat

My signature varies a lot. Some days it depends on if I'm feeling up for signing all the letters in my name. And for those of you that haven't checked my Twitter or know me on Facebook, I'll just say that my full name - first, middle, last - is 21 letters long.It's not fun to sign at all; nor is it easy.

Yeah, that might make me easy to remember, but that's not how I want to be known.

So I practice two signatures. Besides the one I use to sign checks, paperwork at the warehouse, or whatever I might need to sign, I also work on a second signature. And it's fun to sign a name that isn't yours. No, I don't mean forging a signature, that's terrible and wrong. But by signing what I will when I'm famous.

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Monday, July 4, 2011

Thoughts on Fireworks, The Fourth, and Popsicles

I've always been a fan of fireworks. But I think that's mostly because I love the smell of sulfur. Yeah, it's not the best smell for you, but it always reminds me of Independence Day or New Years.

Not to mention, I used to help at a fireworks stand. It was a good way for our Youth Group to earn money. And it gave you some experience in customer service long before you could get a job. We got to test the fireworks that were brand new, that way we could explain what they looked like to customers - besides the basic description written on the side of the package.

And I've known quite a few people who would make their own fireworks. They live further into the country than I do, but it was a cool - although dangerous - hobby to take up and create whatever you wanted to show off to neighbors and family.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Thoughts on Karma, Return of the Jedi, and Concussions

While hanging out with Lolo, we were chilling outside Tully's grabbing a drink after having spent an hour or two playing tennis. And we noticed a guy wandering around searching for something.

He stopped by us and inquired if we had any idea where he could get gas vouchers. After talking and hearing that he lost his wallet, was here with his girlfriend, and was basically out of gas, we tried to figure out where he could get gas vouchers. It's a concept neither of us had ever heard of. He had a long drive back to Arlington - which is way up north.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Thoughts on The Magic School Bus, Alpha & Beta, and Catching Up

I used to love The Magic School bus as a kid. And honestly, who wouldn't? It was a kids show that taught you a lot about the world you lived in - unless of course that was under a rock. Who wouldn't want Ms. Frizzle as their teacher?

Thoughts on Wearing Glasses, Disappointment, and Pen Pals

Glasses are super handy. Especially for those like me who have a hard time seeing. But this started way back in junior high when I didn't have to wear them full time. Sophomore year, and I was confined to glasses.

Sure there are snazzy contacts, but I have a fear of touching my eyeball - which I think is pretty healthy - so I have no intention of getting contacts. I'm alright with my glasses.

But the tough part about glasses is playing sports. If they get knocked off, hopefully they don't get stepped on, and if they do hit the ground, or get ripped off your face, let's hope they're not too bent.

Which is like tonight at frisbee... They're bent and make it difficult to drive.

Peachy.

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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Thoughts on Reminiscing about High School, Dreamworks, and My Celebrity Dream Family

Some of my friends only remember the terrible things about high school. The bad relationships, tough teachers, brutal classes and just the emotional turmoil they went through. And while that seems like the typical teen angst - and to some, might be - it occurred to me that I don't have very many - if any - bad memories about high school.

So reminiscing about friends, events and just fun, happy memories always make me smile. Especially when I'm still in contact with those people, and that's something we can all look back on. There were plenty of moments where I couldn't have been happier being among close friends and just having a blast.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Thoughts on Exchange Students, Cravings, and My Loathing for Twilight

In about two weeks, we're getting two exchange students from China. They're 10 and 11 - with the younger turning 11 the day after she leaves. Yeah, that's right. 10 and 11. From China, and they'll be here in the states, away from family.

It's really cool that they get to participate in the program and travel the world during their summer. But it's probably also scary since they're so young.

Either way, I'm excited to meet them both. We'll have Wendy and Rose - the English names they chose - for about two weeks. We've had an exchange student before. She was cool and it helped that we were/are close in age. So certainly, I'll have more interesting things to talk about, having them here.

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Monday, June 27, 2011

Thoughts on Lack of Posts, Farmer's Market Food, and Hospitals

I know I've been slacking. And some of that is due to the lack of things I've taken notice of. And probably laziness. But I haven't really had anything significant happen lately that I've wanted to write about.

I do have a few topics noted for future nights - and hopefully a guest post or two - but I'm trying to make sure I don't ramble about the same topic multiple nights in a row.

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Friday, June 24, 2011

Thoughts on Washington Weather, The Force, and Me Ranking Pixar Films

Washington, Seattle more specifically, is known for it's rain. Cause we do get a lot, but not record amounts. Sure, it does rain for about nine months of the year, but I've grown up here, so it's something I'm used to.

This year though, is certainly interesting. Normally in June, the weather starts to lighten up, look less dreary and stay more consistent in being in the 70s. The rest of the country is well into their summer weather, perhaps Washington missed the memo?

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Thoughts on Composers, Giant Woman Crush, and Cars 2

Often times, after I've seen the movie, the soundtrack is an instant buy for me. Music is vital to me in liking a movie. It sets a tone for a scene and really adds to everything in a theater. Plus, often times it helps to be great writing playlists too.

Thoughts on Weight Watchers, Softball, & Picture Posts

Dude.  Weight Watchers.  What gives?

I gave you a try about a year ago and, yeah, you worked for me.  And it was awesome.  I feel like I really learned something in those three months; I really got the drive to eat better, to exercise, to see what I could do about my weight and living the way I wanted to.

But, now, I hate you.

You worked for me.  But you're driving my mother crazy.  And it's killing me.

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Monday, June 20, 2011

Thoughts on Interviews, Commercial Music, and Ocarina of Time

Interviews are stressful. I don't care who you are, there has to be at least some amount of nerves going into an interview that could lead to a better paying job.

It's even tougher when that interview.... is right before lunch and will last an hour. I've never been so anxious before.

Today's interview could lead to plenty of others; that and its really nerve-wracking to not know what will happen from here. :/

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Thoughts on the American Red Cross, New Music, & Dolly Parton

I will, in turns, be eternally grateful to/forever hate the ARC.  It's thanks to them I've had something to do during my summer vacations since I was about nine or ten.  They're the reason I'm currently employed (and have been for the last five summers).  It's because of the Red Cross that, when I remember I am a certified lifeguard and trained in the ways of CPR, AED, First Aid, and swim instructing, I feel like a total BAMF.

But ten-year-old me wasn't thinking that far ahead.  Ten-year-old me liked the pool and all, but getting up early for classes was not conducive to my childhood.  If not for swim lessons, I probably wouldn't have really had any friends as a kid - none that I saw outside of school, anyway.  But, come on...ten AM is early for a kid, when you factor in the carpools, the tennis lessons in the morning heat, the changing for swimming, the spending the day usually at a friend's house because both of my parents worked.  And being an instructor's aid when I was 14 royally sucked.

Without the Red Cross, I wouldn't get to see my kids every year, the closest I'll probably ever come to actually being a teacher.  I plan on having my own kids, someday, and it's nice to have the time to practice - to play, to bond, to instruct.  To discipline, unfortunately.  I want to be the cool mom, the one everyone loves and trusts, because I'll probably be the only one who thought it was important to keep up with my CPR certification.

So, a million and one thanks to the American Red Cross.  But, also...I hate you.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Thoughts on Harry Potter, The Coffee Wars, and Tron Light-Car

It's crazy to think that the Harry Potter phenomenon is finally coming to an end. Or at least, movie wise, it's coming to an end. The books have long since been over, but they still have many hearts and minds of readers captured and immersed in the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

I came in late to the entire bandwagon. By the time I started reading the books, the first two movies were already out. Once I had caught up, I blew through the series in no time, and quickly joined in with millions of others who were obsessed with the series. Midnight book releases, movie showings, everything I could attend that was HP related, I was there for.

Thoughts on Laziness, Locks, & Vacation

I'm just tired.  It's been a long week.  I went on vacation.  I did too much.  I slept too little.

I haven't done anything since I got home Friday night.

I'll stop making excuses eventually.

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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Thoughts on Theno's Dairy, Hits to the Face, and Allergy Medicine

My hometown has a lot of great things going for it. It's a major technology mecca, home to two major companies - Nintendo and Microsoft - has a pretty healthy economy, and is the perfect distance from everything.

For those that like wine, there's a town not far from here that has plenty of wineries and breweries to sample the Northwest flavors. Plenty of pups, bars, taverns, etc. for the drinking types. Several playing fields, parks, and venues of the outdoorsy type. There's an outdoor mall, two bookstores, lots of eateries, your typical fast food, and several grocery stores. And, it's not that far off from being able to "get away" into the farms and get some space. But I think what really makes this place feel special... Is Theno's Dairy.

It used to actually sell milk that they bottled on site, along with cream and butter. My mom actually still has several bottles and a carrier in our garage. But now, they sell handmade ice cream and fudge. There's nothing better than snagging a cone after a long, hot day at work.

Besides coffee, vanilla, and rainbow sherbert, they've got plenty of flavors to offer that you can only find at their dairy. July 1st will be the first day that their summer special, Cantaloupe ice cream arrives. Right now they have strawberry rhubarb. During the holidays, they have pumpkin pie and peppermint. They've done a fantastic job at withstanding a tough economy everywhere and serving people a delicious treat that isn't fast food or soft serve.

Best part of my home town.

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Thursday, June 16, 2011

Thoughts on Rubber Ducks, Character Dialogue Research, and Music

I have a pretty extensive collection of rubber ducks, which continues to grow every year.

This collection started during my first WriMo in 2008 when I found out Seattle was known as the hydrophobic ducks. As our mascot dubbed by NaNoWriMo creator, Chris Baty, the locals took up the idea and have hence forth, been able to recognize each other via the duck placed on a table at write-ins. Each writer has their own or borrow from someone like myself, to be their totem.

There's really one duck I keep with me when I do write at Tully's. He's a black, ninja devil duck. Certainly my favorite - though I don't remember where I acquired him, but I think he was a gift - and he's been with me for the past three years. Like lucky socks for an athlete, he's my lucky charm for when I need to get some progress done. And perhaps that explains why I haven't been able to complete anything.

As of late, I haven't had him sitting next to me on my desk, or where I lounge on the couch upstairs. A part of it is because I don't want my dog to kidnap him and shred him, and the other is that I'm lazy. For the past few months, he's been hanging on the shelf above my bed, opposite my pirate duck. Cause really, what's a ninja without a pirate?

It's time to get into the zone and get some writing done with my sidekick duck.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Thoughts on Writer's Block, Cheese Bunnies, and Ambiguity

My various projects suffer from a great deal of writer's block. My blog, along with both my current novels and just any short story ideas that pop into my head.

Some of it has to do with the fact that I get the feeling that if I start working on anything, I'll hate how it is and it'll join all the other files currently in my "In the Works" folder. Sure, revising and editing are for making things better. But if I'm not in "the mood" or "in the zone" then I shouldn't write anything. Most of the time, I really end up disliking it. I have to be completely consumed by an idea and have it pretty well planned out on paper or in my head before I'm willing to stake a significant amount of time on it and make it the best.

So writer's block unfortunately strikes me a few times a year:
--A month after WriMo, when I've put my story to rest for a time to mull over ideas. Generally I don't pick it up again for quite some time....
--After several days/weeks of writing a short story or even flash fiction consistently.
--Working on a previous WriMo novel and making major changes to it that are for the better, but ultimately, I'm lazy.
--Undecisive-ness in searching for the right direction to take my short story/novella/novel, etc.
--Editing and revising large bodies of work.

Hopefully I can find a cure soon. This requires epic music, me thinks.

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Thoughts on Good Morning, Gravity, and Pain killers

I walk to the warehouse from where my car is parked; roughly only 5 minutes, but it feels longer. Generally there are other cars passing by, heading to their assigned spots and joining the other carpoolers, along with filling up the nearby business park.

We share our warehouse with another company. Sure, we take up about 90% of it, but they receive their own deliveries in bay doors on the opposite side of the building. They supply car parts for various garages and dealerships, their drivers coming in every morning to pick up the order for their assigned routes and then leaving once they snag some coffee and chat it up with fellow drivers.

There's this one guy that wishes me "Good morning," every day. His cheeks are adorned with muttonchops, and he always has a baseball cap and a red plaid jacket. Not only does he do this without fail, but he could be in the middle of a conversation, and he'll stop and greet me. I smile, wave and respond with a "Good morning."

A part of me is curious about his friendliness, and if there's any rhyme or reason to why he greets me, but at the same time.... I don't want to know. I like the mystery in it all and the thought that we're just friendly strangers, who routinely see each other.

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

Thoughts on Spies, Mom's Tea, and Hey Arnold

I was watching the movie, Killers with Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher. It's one of many spy rom-coms.

Everyone knows being a spy isn't as romantic or funny. More than likely, it's dangerous, anxiety inducing, and is about never knowing when your last day will be. With witty dialogue, impeccable timing and a score of actors and actresses, it's easy to think that discovering your spouse is really a secret agent, would lead to some rather hilarious interactions - potentially something like Mr. and Mrs. Smith or plenty of moments in the previously mentioned film.

No one probably wants to think of the dark side of those movies. The fact that there are people that are trained to kill and are given "missions" to assassinate those that could harm a country's freedom and sanctity.

People want to be entertained. They don't want to accept that people really do lose their lives to protect their country from those that want to harm it. So despite how strange it is that espionage romantic comedies exist, they perform their purpose. Entertainment.

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Saturday, June 11, 2011

Thoughts on Wood Fired Pizza, The X-Men, and Actors

I tend to take a lot of photos of the fantastic looking food I'm about to eat.

That was a delicious pizza. Made at the farmer's market here in town, held every Saturday.  And it was made in a wood-fired oven. Delicious doesn't even cover how fantastic that pizza tasted. 

Hand-made dough, fresh cut veggies and homemade sauce; it was full of perfection. That was the veggie pizza, however there was also cheese, pepperoni and meat lovers. But there's something about veggies on a pizza that make it look like a work of art. Maybe it's the color, or perhaps that it has basically every vegetable I love; I just couldn't resist snapping this photo before I nommed it in under five minutes. So amazing I wanted another right after the first.

What made it taste even better, was the fact it was baked in a wood-fired oven. That still is super cool to me that they bring in their own oven every Saturday. Portable EPIC oven FTW. 

I can't wait for next week!

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Thoughts on Injuries, Late Nights, and Paperwork

So far tonight we had two rolled ankles - which were luckily minor - some face hits, hand and arm scrapes, and turf burn.

I hurt, but am happy I made at least one epic, diving catch. 'twas a good night.

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Friday, June 10, 2011

Thoughts on Books, Drama, & Long Distance Friendships

I have too many book.  Not that I think you can ever have too many books.  I just have too many for the space I currently occupy, so my room is getting a little cluttered.  And it always seems, no matter how many books I finish and find room for or must tie up and relegate to the garage, I always end up buying more to fill the shrinking empty spaces.  I still like the whole atmosphere of the library, but there's just something about owning a book, being able to write in it and call it your own.  Even if it's terrible.

But it's okay.  I plan on having a library of my own, in my future home, a place to keep all my books and have a desk with my knick-knacks and computer, where I'll read and write and go on Facebook.  Even if it's just a closet - as long as I have shelf space.  I'll be content.

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Thoughts on Plot Directions, Retirement, and The Ice Cream Truck

Projects are tough to keep up on. In the initial start, I'll have plenty of momentum and easily find time to continue work on what I'm doing; when suddenly I'll hit a wall.

My 2009 WriMo is one of my most complex plots to write in only 30 days. Besides being a romantic comedy, it includes themes of acceptance/tolerance, self-discovery, and more, all wrapped around a homosexual relationship at the heart of the story. I'd written basically to the end, but hadn't quite typed up the ending due to my inability to decide on how it should conclude. So rather than do anything more to it, I printed the entire story out and marked it up with my red pen. While incomplete, it's been read through and edited.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Thoughts on Taco Bell, Summer Storms, & the Boardwalk

Taco Bell is one helluva big deal in these parts.  I really don't know why it took off as a hangout, but it's really taken its place as a symbol of the community.  If you don't go at least once a week, you're probably a social outcast.  And don't even get me started on the time it shut down for a few months...then reopened, new and improved, as a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut EPIC PLACE OF EPIC EATING EPICNESS.

In third grade, we had to write about our favorite places in the school district.  Even though Taco Bell is technically a town over, I wrote about it.  That's how influential it's been in my life.

Today, on of my best friends, Zach, and I bought the Party Pack (12 tacos, bitches!) and split a large Mountain Dew Baja Blast while sitting on the dock at Venetian Park.  It was beautiful; perfection.  Even if it was 6541984 degrees outside.  It was okay - we had the serenity of the bay and the quiet of the dock and tacos, and that was all we needed.

And then I took the last two tacos to work with me for dinner ♥

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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Thoughts on The Muppets, Skype, and Location Option?

Seriously, who doesn't love The Muppets? I could sit and watch them sing Bohemian Rhapsody forever because it's still funny. But then again, the television show was fantastic - even if I didn't grow up with seeing it. They've got memorable characters, jokes and the writing never got dull. Normally a show takes a turn for the worse and somehow, it gets stale. However these puppets just continued to entertain in a time where you'd think puppets wouldn't be that funny. Or even draw a crowd.

All of the Jim Henson characters are treated like any celebrity would be. Kermit has co-hosted several shows - including the late nights and presented an award at the Emmys. They've created a legacy that could never be ruined.

Statler and Waldorf are hilarious, even if they're just making fun of other puppets. Check out the Muppets Channel on Youtube to see them joke about other Muppet's uploads and laugh at plenty of Beaker.

So it's no wonder I'm super excited for the new Muppets film coming in November. Everyone is back, and that makes me truly happy.

Bork, Bork Bork!

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Thoughts on Guarding Lives, Dormy McDermott, & Running Out of Posting Material


These are my sunglasses.  That is a pool.  And that is me, reflected in said sunglasses.  They're the awesome aviators (I know you're jelly) I bought from Newbury Comics up in Boston before the end of the spring semester and I love them.  Even though they're a little scratched from riding around in my bag with my keys all the time.

Also note that I have the Sprint Instinct, which is literally so obsolete, they don't make the driver software available anymore.  It's a miracle my phone even connects to my computer.

Also note the empty pool and deck.  I mostly sit and read, alone, at this job, unless friends decide to visit.  I've tried a bit of writing, too, but ever since my friend said she used to write letters here to her boyfriend at boot camp and our boss would read them, I've been a little paranoid.  I'm still going to give it a try, though.  How awesome a story to tell, about how I finished that collection of poems or short stories, or that novel, that summer I worked at the Harbour Club?

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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Thoughts on Knick-Knacks, Paper Stars, and Ferdinand the Whale

 One of many knick-knacks in my room.

I tend to collect some odd items. Various knick-knacks that are basically useless but are part of a growing collection. You could call them geeky, unique, or just eclectic and hip. But I like the odd things in life. Rather than sea monkey's, as a kid, I got something called Triops. Rather than the brine shrimp that are basically sea monkey's, there's a curiosity shop here in Seattle that sells such unique items. So it's no wonder I gravitate towards these interesting pieces to decorate my room and house.

The little plant above, is actually robotic. After pushing a little button on the side of the pot, it responds to sound by moving it's leaves and "nodding" up and down as if it listens to you and understands. Heck, you can even ask it yes or no questions and see it's response. It's called a Pekoppa plant, a "must have" purchase of mine from ThinkGeek. By far one of my favorite things I've bought. Rather than stick with the name, Pekoppa, I call mine Coffee - or cohii (hee) pronounced in Japanese. He's become a writing buddy and staple for when I sit at my computer to write for a long stretch and need a quick, amusing break.

But it's knick-knacks like Coffee that I collect and keep in my room to give me inspiration and surround my laptop with. He makes me feel like I always have a friend nearby.

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Thoughts on Tanning, Stunt Doubles, & Playing God

Was it the Victorian Era when it was hot to be pale?  I kind of miss that mentality.  Trying to get tan is too much work.

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Monday, June 6, 2011

Thoughts on Idea Paint, Environment Changes, and Video Blogging

Someone on Twitter posted a link to Idea Paint yesterday. After watching the site, I'm completely blown away at this product.

It's such a creative idea that I can't get out of my mind. Being able to write and erase on your regular walls after just one coat of this paint. That's practically every kid's dream, drawing on their walls, doors, anything. Plus, it has so many practical uses! Jotting down grocery lists, making charts, graphs for work, and of course my personal favorite PLOTTING.

Actually, plotting was the very first thing I thought of when I saw the opening video. Literally, all of my colored sticky notes would become obsolete and I could forever jot things down on the wall. Once a story was completed, I could erase it all and be on my way. Well... actually, I'd probably take some HD pictures so that way I could refer back to everything just in case I needed to make changes.

I'm literally spazzing out over here trying to come up with a Pro/Con list to convince my mom to let me do this. Now granted.... when she gets married, the house becomes mine, so technically I could do with it what I want - which there are some changes I do want to make - and painting that wall with Idea Paint is at the top of my list.

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Thoughts on Nature vs. Nurture, Originality, & Getting Out

Would you be the same person you are today if you didn't grow up with the people you did, in the home you did, attending the schools you did?  What if you didn't have a mom or a dad?  What if you were raised by relatives?  What if you lived in your car and struggled for food?  What if you were just lucky to be alive?

Does personality come from the wiring in your brain or the things you experience?  We learn almost everything from our parents and the people we see around us, but do you really learn things like compassion, humor, joy, sorrow?  Or do they come with the territory?  Does happiness spring up in a happy home with a white picket fence, or to combat extreme terror and anguish?

Will we ever know?  Not unless we learn to be reborn and live our lives all over again.

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Sunday, June 5, 2011

Thoughts on Blue Jays, Mushrooms, and Gardening


This is a Blue Jay. Yesterday, he came and sat on our deck railing. We've gotten a lot of random wildlife that roams through our neighborhood and yard. Obviously, birds are the easiest to come across. But it's not too often they'll chill on our deck for such a long amount of time that I can take several pictures.

It's a pretty grainy photo since I was taking it through the screen of our sliding glass door. After watching him sit in this position for several minutes, I figured out what he was doing - attracting a mate.

He had his chest puffed out like those Foster Farms chicken commercials and would sit in various weird positions. Then he'd fidget for a moment, scratch his head and make his feathers more fanned out, especially the plume on his head, and then pose again. The mating rituals of the feathered kind have always been fascinating. If you've ever watched Planet Earth on Discovery Channel, particularly when they talk about the jungle, you see all these crazy antics that birds would put themselves through just to attract the females. And if the ladies were unimpressed, the guys would deflate and be sad that they were overlooked.

I'm happy to say though, that I saw a Blue Jay today, and he had a mate. They landed on our deck railing and sat for a few moments before taking off.

Congrats little dude.

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Thoughts on Writing, Forming Bonds, & the Apocalypse

Today at work, I had this unnatural urge to just put pen to paper and write.  It was the perfect setting - a chilly pool deck, empty save for one woman reading what I think was The Help, and me, with my writing tablet and my favorite pen from the high school newspaper awards last year.  I had some characters in my head, a few ideas, some plots.  The problem was, most of them are for larger projects I either have work done on or I have yet to begin, and none of them were going to become short stories I could knock out in the four hours I had left in my shift.  Nothing seemed right.

I hate that.  I love that drive to write, but I hate how it never seems to match up with the right ideas, the right words, the right remembering.  I would have continued a story I've already started, if I could remember specific details and where I'd left off.  But I had nothing - just myself, a pen and paper, and creativity taking me nowhere.

Of course, with one hour left in my shift at the pool, I remembered a brilliant idea I'd had and meant to work on, but I was already invested in my book and I was hoping to leave a little early since no one was swimming, and it didn't seem worth it.

That's what nighttime is for though, right?

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Saturday, June 4, 2011

Thoughts on Keyboards, Awkward First Meeting, and College

My mom can always tell what keys I use the most on my keyboard. We've had to resort to writing on them - at least on the desktop - in Sharpie so that when she uses the computer, she knows which ones are which.

Meanwhile, on my laptop, I've nearly rubbed off two separate keys and have warn grooves into plenty of others. Out of all the keys, my "N" and my "M" are both nearly rubbed off... And have significant grooves.

Sign of a writer, or living on my laptop when I'm not writing?

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Thoughts to Make Up For Not Posting Last Night

I suck.  I know.  I'm working on it.

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Prom






There's been a lot of things in the past week that have reminded me of Prom 2010.  Walking into the same basements where we planned, the friend's house we went to afterward to change for After Prom.  I wanted to upload a picture of all of us in our finery, but then I realized I don't have any on my computer.  Instead, the photo above is from the beach on Fire Island where we spent the day after.  It wasn't conventional - no huge parties, no drinking - just staying up late, watching movies, eating, laughing, talking, walking on the beach in the moonlight.  Then ultimate frisbee on the beach the day after, some swimming, some tanning.  My date taught me how to play chess that day.

Yeah.  I think about it a lot.

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Thoughts on Midnight Ultimate Frisbee, Permission, and the Art of Falling

Who decided that throwing an upside-down plate was a good idea? Or that playing a sport with said plate that is similar to football, an even better idea?

I haven't a clue as to the answers to those questions. Running around in the middle of the night chasing a frisbee sounds like a bad idea. And yet it's so exhilarating. The last time I had this much fun, was junior high playing tennis.

I've always been the competitive type - though not crazy or a bad sport - but I, like everyone else, likes the feeling of winning. What better way to win, than by playing a sport like ultimate in the dark?

Of course, my friends and I aren't completely crazy. We don't run around blind - because some of us practically are - we are safe by wearing electric glow sticks and follow a frisbee that also has a battery and LEDs. It's such a blast to run around and be competitive at midnight. There's only us, the stars, astroturf, and the frisbee. And I couldn't ask for anything better than being able to be athletic with my friends.

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Thursday, June 2, 2011

Thoughts on Daft Punk, Old Teachers, and Sushi

There's something magical about Daft Punk. The French duo really knows how to create some fantastic beats and catch techno tunes.

Their finest work is most certainly the Tron Legacy soundtrack. Yeah, I'm a big fan of lots of major composers - a thought for another day - but there was something superb about the mix Daft Punk did for the movie. Every song was just... wow. I have songs I definitely prefer more over others on the track list, but if I have to pick my top five soundtracks overall to listen to forever, Tron Legacy is definitely there.

All of the music just fit so well with the movie. And some movies, the background music feels out of place, or is boring. But as I listen to it, I can picture every scene and all the characters.

I can see Sam fighting Rinzler in the Games; the battle in End of Line, and Quorra taking herself out of the equation. Not to mention Quorra and Sam riding on his Ducati, with her snuggling into his shoulder. SQUEEEE~!!

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Thoughts on Beautiful Days, Gasoline, & Driving (Without a Destination)

The sky is that shade of blue that only shows up on days like these.  It might not really be any bluer, but it looks perfect against pure white clouds that alternate between puffy and wispy.  But everything looks better through aviator shades.

A plane might make its way, lazily, across the sky.  There might be seagulls crying, cardinals singing.  The tree trunks are dark in shadow, the leaves green and shot through with bright rays of sunshine.  If the sun were a child's drawing, it would be wearing sunglasses.  And grinning.

People are suddenly everywhere - jogging, walking, talking, biking, taking dogs for long walks, pushing infants in strollers.  They've been stuck in hibernation, but no one can miss a beautiful day.  Errands are excuses to get out in the sun; sitting in the backyard is a higher priority than eating, even breathing.  The sun is hot, but the breeze cuts the warmth, clearing away humidity and leaving in its place the peaceful flutter of anxious new leaves and the sound of life, renewed, and so very alive.

What a beautiful day, you think.  And it sounds cliché, but don't listen to that writing professor.  Clichés just have a bad reputation.  Sometimes, there's just no better way to say it.  And what a beautiful day this is.

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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Thoughts on Green Caps, Dinosaurs, and Cartoons

My car, Trixie, has little green caps on her tires on the spout where you'd fill them up with air. Confused and thinking that perhaps these were magical caps that change color when the tire is losing pressure - apparently those exist - we decided to ask. Trix was in for a check-up anyway, so we asked the dealership guy what the purpose of the green cap was. Turns out we were completely wrong.

The green caps mean that my tires are filled with nitrogen. NITROGEN. Say wah?

Apparently, filling your tires with nitrogen make them run cooler, so they don't over heat. Also, that's what they fill racing tires with. Confused much? Yeah me too. Especially when you know that my car is a little, first generation Toyota Prius. That is not a racing car. Maybe it helps with efficiency? I have no idea.

But green caps are not magical and change color. And no, the gas won't change the pitch of your voice if you inhale it. So much for my imagination....

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Thoughts on Afternoon Applebee's, Quotes, & Babies

Though any 'Bee's is a hoppin' place around dinnertime and Happy Hour, there's something more magical about a late lunch or an early dinner at the Neighborhood.  There's no line, no putting your name on a list, no fighting for a seat in the lobby while your stomach growls for half-prince appetizers.  The waiters and waitresses are all standing around the hostess, who grins and leads you, immediately, to one of the booths near the window.  Ah, the good life.  You get drinks, appetizer, meal, desserts, in rapid succession.  Maybe the waitstaff isn't as peppy and, maybe, the atmosphere loses a little something without a rowdy crowd of sports fans seated around the bar.  But seeing the place so quiet is both unsettling and wonderful.  Every person, place, and thing has an undercurrent they don't show the world; every side has two stories.  And the story of Applebee's in the late afternoon includes eavesdropping, laughing, and eating as much as you can in as little time as it takes to do so.

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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Thoughts on Weddings, Shooting the Messenger, and LOL WHUT?

Weddings. Strangely they happen. And they're sealed with kisses.

Some seal them with two.

I write short stories about them... a lot.

That is strange. 

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At work, I'm the messenger. It's a terrible position in which generally people yell at me when they dislike something. And there's very little I can do about it. So when people rant - 9 times out of 10 - I have to take what they say like a grain of salt. Even if it seems like they are completely tearing into me. Good thing I have a lot of sarcasm at my disposal to dispel the anger to the best of my ability.

Sarcasm, I CHOOSE YOU!

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Okay, so this was super random.... But why does a day just feel so much shorter when your busy, but you wish you had more time because you still have a long list of things you want to get done... or planned to get done. I swear, time traveling is a real thing. Like trolls stealing your left sock.

Thoughts on Writing Challenges, Taboo, & One-Liners

I want to observe things for the Memoir Project every day; write about love every day; write a poem a day; find something to keep my inspired every day.

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It really shouldn't be that hard to guess "rainbow" from clues alluding to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and the fact that it's a weather phenomenon that appears after a big storm.

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Did this post bother you yet?

Monday, May 30, 2011

Thoughts on My Dog, Curtains, and Trailers

We've had my dog, Whitaker, since I was a junior in high school. We have a major love for beagles in my household, mostly having to do with Snoopy - although he doesn't look like most beagles - and how much we love The Peanuts and Charles Schultz.

In comparison to our previous beagle, Shiloh (cliched, I know), Whitaker is probably the sweetest dog we've ever had. He's calm, passive and really isn't much of a biter. When you're feeling down, he's a fantastic cuddler and great at warming up your clothes on a chilly morning - if you don't mind dog hair. One of the few pets we've owned where I had the chance to truly pick which dog we got. And really, he's been fantastic.

He makes funny noises when I hug him, or bother him in his sleep. Even when we sit on opposite sides of the couch, he'll moan and groan as he tries to make a nest out of the blankets. Or if there's an off chance I'm bugging him, then he'll groan about that too.
Whitaker is super friendly; as in he will greet anyone walking by our yard and whine at them until they pet him. So yes, he's comfortable with strangers. A guard dog he's not. But despite his small stature, he tries his best to look and sound tough whenever he hears a weird noise. In the morning, he'll wake me up when he needs to be let out, or when his stomach grumbles at 6 AM on a Saturday.

I'll probably never be a cat person - although the idea sounds nice - because on occasion my allergies get set off. But I like the loveable looks my dog gives me when I'm sad, or when I get home from work. It's nice to feel wanted, needed or missed.

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Thoughts on Journaling, Teal Goop, & False Hopes

I shouldn't be proud to not be writing in my journal every day.  I've pledged to myself so many times in the past that I wouldn't let my personal writing lapse, even if nothing exciting happened that day, even if I don't want to record the day's events for posterity.  But I haven't given up on writing every day, be it fiction or nonfiction.  And if I'm not writing about it in my journal, I'm out doing it.  So, I'm proud.  May this be a summer of catching up on journaling when I can.

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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Thoughts on Cheez-its, Guy Friends, and Re-reading Roleplays.

There's something about Cheez-its that makes them so addicting. When they say "Get your own box" they aren't kidding.

Maybe it's the delicate mix of cheese, salt and crunch that makes them so irresistible. Or the fact they don't leave behind much residue on your fingers. They are simply one of the best snack crackers ever. As the snack saying goes, "You can never have just one."

Thoughts on History, Movies, & Photography

I don't belong here.  Have I mentioned that here before?  Maybe; I can't remember.  I might just be getting myself all mixed up with every other time I've ever mentioned the fact that I'm all wrong for this decade.  Well, all wrong, except for an addiction to the Internet.  And a growing appreciation for hip-hop.  And a great sadness when I think that, if I were twenty or thirty years older today, I might not have watched Supernatural from the beginning.  And think of all the hot guys I wouldn't know about!

Then again...think about all the hot guys I've missed out on.

Anyway, history was always one of my favorite classes in school, all through my years from elementary to high school.  Drawing from my vague knowledge of certain time periods in American history and what the movies have told me, I've narrowed my possible destined locations to two decades: the 1940s and the 1980s.

I know war is hell - not from firsthand experience.  It's just something you know is wrong and we should probably be trying to avoid at all costs.  But the World War II era is just so intriguing.  I don't really know what it's like to go without.  I don't know what it's like to have a sweetheart overseas, someone to write to and pray for.  I want to dance at the officer's club to swing music and join the armed forces as a nurse, or work in a factory.  Or play baseball, like in A League of Their Own.  As terrifying as it must have been to live through that, it also seems incredibly exciting to have been alive in such a time of change and upheaval.

But I don't know if it's something about the romance of that period drawing me to the '40s, or the whole decade.  Whereas, with the '80s, I'm sure I would fit right in.  The bold colors, the music, the movies, the celebrities, the TV, the fashion - I have died and gone to shoulder pad heaven just thinking about it.  Who knows?  In another time, I might be the East Coast's answer to Cameron Crowe.  I could have run off to Hollywood at the height of the yuppies and made a name for myself in a John Hughes film.  I might have been in Top Gun (or, at least, swaying with my well-coiffed boyfriend to "Take My Breath Away").

...I COULD HAVE MARRIED EMILIO ESTEVEZ.

MY LIFE SUCKS.

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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Announcements! Call for Submissions! Exclamation Points!

The Memoir Project is very heavily text-based, hm?  Well, that really was the focus, originally - the written word.  But some things are indescribable; a picture is worth a thousand words.  So we here at "Big Myth We Live" are very happy to announce the integration of multimedia elements into the blog!  The aim is still for aspiring authors and dabbling writers to try to write about the details that make them who they are.  But, if you'd like, you can also collect photographs, make a video, find a clip of your favorite song, anything that will help sharpen the memories.  Of course, we'd appreciate a few words of introduction and/or description, so you can't skimp on your writing now!  But we're very excited to see what we (and you!) can come up with to present our lives as faithfully as possible.

This leads to my next point - you!  We'd love to line up a few guest posts, and we welcome any and all readers, skimmers, or first-timers to create a post about their three chosen details of the day to share here at Big Myth for the Memoir Project!  It can be three videos, a picture and two long written pieces, a song and a slideshow, or the typical three short blurbs - whatever you're drawn towards.  But we can't do it without you, so contact either me, katiemickgee, or Dominic Knight today and start dreaming :]

Thoughts on Scrabble, Accents, and Growing Apart

Word games are a guilty pleasure. Probably because it's one of the few places I can use my large vocabulary and not feel bad when people don't know what the word means. But when I speak aloud, I generally dumb down my language. It's a habit from work since there are plenty of people that barely understand English, so I have to keep things simple.

Unfortunately it's a terrible rut to fall into. I don't have the ability to have too many spur of the moment intelligent conversations. Strictly, everything I talk about is either work, or video game related. On occasion we speak about what recently appeared on CNN via the break room televisions.

I stick to Scrabble, and Word with Friends too much. I need more stimuli than this.

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Thoughts on Chlorine, Mirrors, & the Art of Traveling Light

I absolutely love the smell of chlorine.  That sounds sick, seeing as it's a potentially harmful chemical, if ingested in large quantities.  It also really smarts when you get it in your eyeballs; trust me, I work at a pool.

And that's the exact reason I love the smell of chlorine.  It's not exactly a crisp and clean smell, though you do know the water must be safe, if you get that scent early in the morning.  It burns your nostrils and wakes up your brain.  It makes your eyes sting and water, when you forget your goggles.  And God help the poor soul who actually swallows a mouthful or two of chlorinated pool water - moreso because no one really knows what kids are doing in the water, not because of the chlorine.  It's almost sweet, not sour, and hangs in the air and on your clothes long after you've climbed out of the pool.

One of my favorite things to do in the dead of winter is to dig out one of my village-issued swim instructor T-shirts and summon up the sights and sounds of a summer that exists only in my memory.  Watching the older kids paddle through laps through my aviator shades, the world tinted brown or blue or gray.  The bridge is in the distance, across the bay, promising the beach later in the day, maybe, and boats sometimes pass too close to the bulkhead for the lifeguard's comfort.

And it's not even the memories that makes me love the smell.  It's the smell itself, so singular and indescribable.

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Friday, May 27, 2011

Thoughts on Flash, Procrastination, and Flirting

There's just something about listening to Flash by Queen that makes me want to write a superhero story. Obviously it's the fact that the song was for a superhero, but all I see is the delusions of grandeur that the world in which a hero would live in could bring about to the Average Joe.

Either that, or the ridiculousness of the super villains. It probably already exists, but it'd be a blast to write a book parody about every trope that's in a comic book. I'd go crazy with that. But how could you not?

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Thoughts on Humor, Pirates, and Headaches

Yes, I'm running late on this post. My apologies.

On my other blog, I wrote a short story recently called "Ceiling Tiles and Laughter." And for the most part, I'd say it's an example of how dark my humor can get. Though, perhaps it's on the lighter side... I'm sure there are darker things lurking, it's just a matter of if I'll let them out of their cage.

But that story was from a plot twist in a roleplay a friend and I were doing on instant messenger. The character loses his leg and that brief flash fiction was his way of finally accepting this life changing event and working on moving past that. For the most part, I can't see any other way of moving past something so traumatic as losing a limb, than by using some amount of humor to help yourself cope. That's probably why whenever I am thrust into a crazy situation - although not life threatening - I tend to use humor to ease my own nerves. And even if it's not dangerous or crazy, just stressful, I laugh it off with others as we're going through it to make sure I'm not freaking out and taking out my anger and frustration out on other people.

So I hope that if I ever have to lose a limb or face something tragic, I could look at it - probably after a string of other emotions - with humor and to set others at ease, not just myself.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Thoughts on Fidgeting, Neville Longbottom, & Feeling Grimy

On my summer days, I like to strut around in a bathing suit without makeup and get tan.  Oh, and I get paid for it.  Because I'm a Red Cross-certified swim instructor.  What can I say?  It's summertime and the livin' is easy.

But, there are days when it's sunny and hot and I can't convince myself that sitting inside is a good idea for very long.  On these days, when I don't have work, it's either feel guilty about wasting a beautiful day, or get my ass outside and tan.  I do go outside and I do enjoy the sun.  For awhile.  Until I start getting distracted.

Let's just say, if I didn't have an outdoor summer job, I'd never get tan.

I don't have the attention span to just sit.  I can read for hours.  I can watch a movie or multiple episodes of a show.  I can be online.  I'll even lay out at the beach.  But, when I'm in my own backyard, there are just too many distractions; I can't sit still.  I drink too much water as it is, so I'm constantly running inside to the bathroom.  I sit in a chair, lay on my stomach, sit in the grass.  I listen to music, I read.  I get hungry.  I want to read something else.  I need more water.  I just keep fidgeting, up and down, inside and out, running around, always moving.  And, what's odd, it's entirely a summertime affliction.

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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Thoughts on Sleep, Lack of Sleep, and a Headache

Unfortunately, today isn't that interesting.

Hopefully this will be my only short post because I'm sleepy.

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I had a bizarre lack of sleep, which I'm not sure what caused it.

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A strong headache is also putting me to bed early. Pills haven't worked, and neither has water. Hopefully sleep will be my cure. 

Thoughts on Peter Pan, Being Traditional, & Dressing for the Occasion

My dad just realized he was almost fifty (he's got three more years).  We were joking about something while watching "Criminal Minds," and he started waxing philosophical about the matter.

"Do you know any fifty-year-old kids?" he wanted to know, with that look on his face of amazement and something like pain.  I must have made a face, revealing my confusion, because he elaborated, "Because I still feel like a kid."

In a lot of ways, he is a kid.  We're so dumb together, making fun of even the movies we love, laughing about our shared genetic stupidity, swapping computer tricks and book reviews.  He's an adult in all the usual ways - going to work, paying bills, buying stuff, doing taxes - but he does it with such ease and nonchalance, you wouldn't know he's worried about anything.  Usually, he's not worried.

Like a kid who doesn't know any better.  Like Peter Pan.

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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Thoughts on Twitter, Flip a Coin, and Family Time

I'm pretty sure I have a terrible addiction to Twitter. There's something about the social feed that I just can't get enough of. Perhaps it's that I can get a glimpse at the life of the rich and famous I follow, or get the opportunity for one of them to tweet me back if I ask them a question during the occasions they'll play 20 questions.

Twitter - in comparison to the rest of social media - has really bridged that gap that used to exist with celebrities and the Average Joe. Sure, generally celebs follow each other and stick to their own circles. But Twitter has allowed people to see into their busy lives and find out about the projects they're working on or see pictures they snap in real time.

Not to mention, a lot of good things have come from Twitter. Charities raise money by tweeting and getting retweeted. Family can connect to each other in a disaster to inform of their well-being. Celebrities get auctioned off, the winners receiving a phone call and a "follow" from the celeb. News spreads, and people are kept informed. Advertising can occur for free and can generate a lot of interest. Grassroots movements can rise up and literally take the world by storm - "Help Nathan Buy Firefly" being the best example.

If there's any social media site I know I'll stay a member of, Twitter would be the one. I've had some of the best conversations on Twitter that really, it's a way to connect with people all over the globe and feel more apart of their lives than just chatting on some anonymous forum. It feels personal, and yet the best area to market yourself when trying to gain followers and getting noticed by perhaps some big names out there. I'm going to stick with Twitter, because once I get published - maybe make it on Oprah's Book Club? - I want my fans to have the same kind of contact with me that I've had with my idols.

Thoughts on Family, Friendship, & Food

I have friends whose families have been in this town for decades - maybe even centuries, I don't know.  I'm not an outcast around here, but since my family is so tiny, it's weird to see so many people who can be so committed to each other and supportive of one another.  I'm an only child, which has never been a huge issue, though I have contemplated what it would have been to be a big sister (or the annoying kid sister with a crush on all her adorably protective older brother's friends).  It might get lonely, but I hear the horror stories and realize how lucky I have it to be on my own and totally accepting of that.

But we don't really talk to my dad's side of the family; just my mom's.  Through her, I only have one grandmother, two aunts, an uncle, and exactly one cousin.  One.  Some of my friends can't even keep track of ages and birthdays for all their cousins.  I've never been excited for family get-togethers, because there's never anyone my age to talk to.  I've always been a little grown-up and, now that I actually am an adult, they still treat me like a child.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Thoughts on "You have 10 seconds", "It's His Idea", Hooked on Phonics

I talk pretty fast. If ever I had to be in debate club and count words per minute, I'd feel bad for whoever had to count my speed. And no, this is without coffee - with would be too dangerous.

But that has to do with my mom. She's not someone I would call simple by any means. Not only did she design our house - no, she's not an architect - she also holds a patent for an invention or two. However, my mom likes simplicity. So whenever I would talk to her about something - i.e: Harry Potter, video games, or anything I'm truly interested in - she would look at me and say "You have 10 seconds." Well, ten seconds or until I could tell she wasn't listening because her eyes would glaze over and she would change the subject. And no, I'm not an expert in persuasion or holding people's attention.

Thoughts on Being Someone You're Not, Sarcasm, & the Seven (or More) Words You Can't Say on TV

They tell you to be who you are, to face each day with confidence and every hater with proud defiance.  They tell you bullies quiver when you stand up to them.  They tell you the underdogs will make it, too, and live far more fulfilling lives than the popular kids.

By "they," I, of course, mean motivational posters.  And the people who grade the New York State Regents.  Absolutely terrifying.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Thoughts on Flip Flops, Losing My Religion, and MP3 Players

Being Japanese and Hawaiian, people would expect me to be completely comfortable with flip flops. In truth, I actually only started wearing them about two and half years ago. Strange right? I would use shoes basically wherever I went, and since I rarely go swimming, I had no need for them when at a pool or beach.

Truthfully, I desperately hate things between my toes. My mom used to tease me when I was little by putting a finger between any of my toes, and I would freak out. So I was desperate to stay away from them and stick to corny sandals - but no socks, thanks.

What changed my outlook on the idea? Well, for the most part, I wanted to be able to actually wear them. My irrational freak outs needed to be tamed. But I couldn't wear just any kind of flip flops. The cheap pairs that are basically foam and rubber wouldn't work. Knowing my luck, I'd probably be allergic to the material, or something disastrous would happen and I'd never be able to wear them. So I went in search of flip flops of a higher quality. To ease my woes, I was willing to spend some extra cash for comfort.

After wandering a few stores and only finding the cheap pairs, or something slightly more expensive than them - but still with a rubber tongue between your toes - I was about ready to give up. But then one store was carrying exactly what I was looking for, which was unexpected. I was looking for cloth or some kind of soft material that would go between your toes, and that's exactly what I found. And they have the added benefit of being made of 100% post consumer material, so they're super eco-friendly. Not to mention, I like the design on the cloth straps. So over all, it was a win-win and I'm not used to wearing flip flops.